Infant Mortality

Narrative

In 2008, 4,662 infants born to residents of
rural or non-metropolitan counties died in the
first year of life. The infant mortality rate was
higher in small and large rural counties (7.31
and 7.10 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively)
than in urban counties (6.51 per 1,000).
Although the infant mortality rate in rural counties
was higher than urban counties in both the
neonatal (<28 days) and postneonatal periods
(28 to 364 days), disparities were only significant
in the postneonatal period. For example,
postneonatal mortality was 27 percent higher in
small rural counties than urban counties, while
neonatal mortality was only 5 percent higher.
The major causes of postneonatal mortality include
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS),
congenital anomalies, injury, and infection.1 These causes may be addressed through improved
education for safe sleep practices and
injury prevention as well as improved access to
health care. SIDS and infection have also been
associated with environmental tobacco smoke
exposure,2 and smoking has been shown to be
higher in rural areas.3

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Quick Stats:
Leading Causes of Neonatal and Postneonatal Deaths —
United States, 2002. MMWR. 2005; 54(38):966.

Graph

Data

*Infant deaths are under 1 year; neonatal deaths are under 28 days; postneonatal deaths are between 28 days and under 1 year.
**Urban includes all metropolitan counties regardless of size, large rural includes non-metropolitan counties with a city of 10,000 or more residents, small rural includes non-metropolitan counties without a city of 10,000 or more residents; follows the National Center for Health Statistics' Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties.Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. 2009 Natality Restricted Access File with Geographic Detail. Analysis conducted by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Information on this page can be found in the print version of Child Health USA 2012. Suggested Citation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Child Health USA 2012. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013.